PLAID Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards has complained to the head of the BBC about anti-Welsh comments made by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

PLAID Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards has complained to the head of the BBC about anti-Welsh comments made by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

In his column in the Sun newspaper, Mr Clarkson wrote: “I think we are fast approaching the time when the United Nations should start to think seriously about abolishing other languages.

“What’s the point of Welsh for example? All it does is provide a silly maypole around which a bunch of hotheads can get all nationalistic.”

In a letter to BBC Director General Mark Thompson, Mr Edwards wrote: “Mr Clarkson is known for his anti-Welsh sentiment, having infamously cremated Wales in a microwave on his now disbanded BBC 2 talk show. For a senior presenter associated with the BBC to make such bigoted and ill- judged comments does not reflect well on the organisation at an extremely sensitive time when it is perceived that the BBC are effectively attempting to take over the only Welsh language television channel.

“While appreciating that Mr Clarkson did not project his views via the BBC on this occasion, I would be grateful for your comments on whether it is appropriate for Mr Clarkson as a senior representative of the BBC to make such derogatory comments.”

But a spokeswoman for the BBC said: “The BBC will not comment on comments made by Jeremy Clarkson in his Sun column.”

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